a hat and my new job

November 20, 2013 by 16 Comments

I started my new job this week, and it’s going very well!  Thank you all for your encouragement and kind words last week when I was so nervous.  I’m still a little nervous because there are still so many things to learn, but the people I work with are great and I’ve enjoyed my days there so far.

My needles have been busy but I can’t share everything yet — I’ve finished some Christmas presents but the intended recipients might just visit my blog here!  My dad probably won’t, though, so I’ll chance showing you his Christmas present:

gsb2It’s a very stretchy hat knit on US size 10 needles with chunky yarn (I used Berroco VIntage Chunky).  The pattern is called Giftie Slouchie Beanie and it is free.

gsb1

It looks good on men and women, and I’m in the process of making a green one as well (but I’m not sure who that’ll go to).

My Mom’s Christmas present is finished but I can’t share it yet because she might see it here.  I’ve also started a project that’s sort of a secret — it involves a big yarn review at the end!  So basically I have a few WIPs, none of which are the Christmas ornaments I told myself I’d make to give as gifts…

Just as a reminder, the drawing for the giveaway will take place on the 25th — that’s only 5 more days!  Don’t forget to enter!

 

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finished the hat!

August 28, 2013 by 10 Comments

What a day!  After working a long and hot (95 Fahrenheit) lunch shift out in the sun, all I wanted to do was get clean and cool and relax!  My hands still wanted something to do though, and as a result the knitted hat for my friend Tara is finished!

Hat for Tara 1

 

It turned out great!  The seed stitch was fun and the inside looks just the same so it’s totally reversible.  I added 8 stitches to the recommended cast on number and also went up a needle size from the recommended one (both because the pattern writer knits very loosely and because my friend has lots of lovely thick hair, although the extra stitches turned out to be unnecessary).  The hat can be worn slouchy, like that, or it can be worn with the ribbed section rolled up like this:

Hat for Tara 2

 

It’s still roomy this way and it is big enough to where either way it can cover one’s ears.  I thought about lining it with polar fleece for extra warmth, but I’ve never done that before and don’t want to try it out on a hat I’m planning on gifting (but if anyone has any tips on that, I’d love to hear them so I can try it out on one of my hats sometime!).  I think I’ll be working with my friend on Thursday so hopefully I can give it to her then.

This hat used about 3/4 of my 220 yard ball of Aslan Trends Royal Alpaca, and the free pattern can be found here.

That’s all for today!  Just wanted to share the finished project somewhere (I can’t put it on Instagram yet because Tara and I follow each other and she’d see it)!  Thanks so much for stopping by.  Now I’ll get to work on the CAL installment for this Saturday!

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a hat for a friend

August 23, 2013 by 10 Comments

Today I started knitting a hat.  A couple hours in and I’m still working on the ribbed band because I had to start over — the pattern writer stated that she knits very loosely, and since I knit tightly I had to go back add 8 stitches (even after switching up a needle size).  The hat is for my friend Tara, who is the girl I work with on the food truck most often.  She’s been very kind and patient (not to mention fun and hilarious), and she’s the one who pushed the big boss to hire me in the first place, even knowing that I’ve had very little food service experience.  I like to think that we’ve also become good friends, which means I have TWO close friends that are girls that live within an hour and a half’s drive.  This is exciting for me, even though I’m probably moving soon about an hour down the road in the opposite direction from them both.  Because I have so few friends, the ones I have mean a lot, and so I want to show them that I appreciate their friendship.  Hence knitting the hat for Tara with no particular occasion in mind.

Although it’s averaging a high of about 87 degrees Fahrenheit most days, that’s pretty cool for a South Carolina summer.  Many weather experts agree that this means we’ll be in for a colder winter than normal.  I am grateful for this because last year I barely got to wear any of the items I had knitted/crocheted because anything more than a light scarf was too hot.  The impending cold season, however, will not be so fun for Tara when she has to work on the food truck (or me, if I’m still here then) because the truck doesn’t have heat.  This means when we’re not cooking but just sitting waiting to open between shifts, it will be incredibly cold.  Tara had said that she doesn’t have a warm hat that will stretch down to cover her ears, so I’m making her one out of 100% alpaca yarn that will.  I hope she likes it!

That’s all I’ve got for today.  Thanks for stopping by!

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how to properly knit a ski hat

September 24, 2012 by 7 Comments

I’ve had a bit of success with the ski bonnet!  About time, too — this is attempt number 4.  I figured out how I needed to knit the band.  First, I knitted the first few rows on double points, because it was easier for me to keep things from getting twisted that way than it was with the magic loop method:

I’m liking the magic loop method much better now.  It feels less like I’m wrestling with a large wooden spider and it’s going quicker.  I’ve gotten 24 rows done so far, and you can begin to see how the pattern will look:

The yarn looks extra pink here. The first picture is more accurate color-wise.

So far, no mistakes (that I know of).  I’m crossing my fingers for continued success, because I wouldn’t know how to go back to a previous row with this pattern of complicated cables and twists if I did mess up.  Well, it’s complicated to me, at least.  But hey, I wanted a challenge, right?

I am actually worried that the band is too narrow — I believe it should be about 4 inches wide and mine is about 3.  Maybe once it’s blocked?  PLEASE don’t tell me that  I should start over and go up a needle size.  Well, actually, do tell me if I should, but don’t expect me to be happy.  What do you think?  I don’t want to redo it, but I do want it to be perfect!

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ski bonnet: begin!

September 22, 2012 by 7 Comments

Remember that awesome ski bonnet that I wanted to make?  Well, I’m gonna make it!

I’ll be using 3 skeins of Berroco Vintage in their Dewberry shade, which I had to purchase today, even though I said I couldn’t afford yarn this month.  I swear, this yarn was the cheapest yarn in the store that still felt soft.  I’m gonna just say this is my birthday present to myself.

So I started the pattern, and I was immediately struggling.  I know how to do the magic loop method but I’m still not good at keeping the breaks between the sides tight and even, so that was all over the place.  Maybe I should try it on double points, which I’m more used to, so I don’t have those “wings?”  In row 1 I immediately had to learn two new things, as well: the Left Twist and the Right Twist.  I think I’m doing them right.  (Check out those links for video tutorials on YouTube.)

In the end, my first 6 rows looked so shabby that I frogged it.  I think I’m going to practice with some spare yarn to get the hang of the pattern first before trying it again with my nice magenta yarn.  Anybody have any advice for me?

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